Title:New Insights in the Development of Carbon Supported Ruthenium Catalysts for Hydrogenation of Levulinic Acid
VOLUME: 7 ISSUE: 2
Author(s):Wenjing Song, M. Carmen Lozano-Martin, Esteban Gallegos-Suarez, Carolina Ramirez-Barria, Weizheng Weng, Xiaodong Yi, Belen Bachiller-Baeza, Antonio Guerrero-Ruiz and Inmaculada Rodriguez-Ramos*
Affiliation: Instituto de Catalisis y Petroleoquimica, CSIC, C/ Marie Curie nº 2, 28049 Madrid, Instituto de Catalisis y Petroleoquimica, CSIC, C/ Marie Curie nº 2, 28049 Madrid, Instituto de Catalisis y Petroleoquimica, CSIC, C/ Marie Curie nº 2, 28049 Madrid, Instituto de Catalisis y Petroleoquimica, CSIC, C/ Marie Curie nº 2, 28049 Madrid, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Xiamen, Xiamen, Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Xiamen, Xiamen, Instituto de Catalisis y Petroleoquimica, CSIC, C/ Marie Curie nº 2, 28049 Madrid, Dpto de Quimica Inorganica y Tecnica, UNED, C/ Senda del Rey nº 9, 28040 Madrid, Instituto de Catalisis y Petroleoquimica, CSIC, C/ Marie Curie nº 2, 28049 Madrid
Keywords:Ru catalyst, carbon support, levulinic acid hydrogenation, structure-sensitive reaction, batch reactor, packed bed
reactor.
Abstract:Background: Ruthenium catalysts supported over various carbon materials differing in the
nanostructure, grade of graphitization and surface area values have been synthesized and used in the hydrogenation
of levulinic acid (LA), biomass platform molecule, in aqueous media.
Methods: The prepared Ru catalysts were characterized by temperature programmed reduction (TPR),
transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and CO chemisorption coupled with microcalorimetry. The
reduced catalysts were studied in a batch reactor and in continuous-flow reactors at 100ºC under 40-50
bar hydrogen pressure for the hydrogenation of LA.
Results: A linear correlation between turnover frequency (TOF) for LA conversion and Ru particle size
was found in the 1.2-2.9 nm range. TOF increasing with the decreasing Ru particle size, which suggests
hydrogenation of LA is a structure-sensitive reaction on Ru nanoparticles. Reduced graphite oxide
(rGO) supported Ru catalyst with the lowest metal particle size (1.2 nm) also showed high activity at
ambient temperature. Remarkably, this catalyst also displayed high stability in a continuous-flow reactor
at 40 bar hydrogen and 100ºC.
Conclusion: The improved catalytic performance (activity, selectivity and stability) of the carbon supported
Ru catalyst (Ru/rGO-700 sample) for the LA hydrogenation reaction is attributed to the low metal
particle size (1.2 nm) obtained over the high surface area and non-acidic rGO-750 carbon support.